Wussy’s Cincinnati Ohio is a record about being stuck, and about the small victories you find in the middle of it. The band, a Cincinnati-based quartet, built this album around a set of songs that circle the same themes: loss, failure, and the quiet ways people cope with both. It is their most reflective work yet, and it is also their best since 2014’s Attica!.
The record opens with “Little Paper Birds,” a track that sets the tone immediately. The melody is gentle, almost fragile, but the lyrics are not. The singer sings about distance and disappointment with a restraint that makes the emotion land harder than shouting ever could. “Gone Missing” follows, a slower, more atmospheric piece that leans into the album’s haunted storytelling mode. Both tracks establish the album’s central tension: music that sounds warm and welcoming, but whose words tell a darker story.
“Happiness Bleeds” is where the record starts to show its teeth. The title alone suggests trouble, and the song delivers on that promise with a heavier guitar presence and a chorus that feels almost desperate. It is one of the stronger tracks early on, a reminder that Wussy can still write a hook even when the subject matter is grim. “Muscle Cars” slows things down again, a mid-tempo rocker with a lyrical nod to nostalgia that feels earned rather than cheap. The song’s narrator reflects on past pleasures without romanticizing them, which is the kind of honesty that defines this record.
“Scream & Scream Again” is the shortest track here, and it earns its place as a palate cleanser. The title is a joke, a reference to the band’s own history, and the song itself is a quick, dirty burst of energy that cuts through the album’s otherwise somber mood. It is a breath of fresh air, even if it is not a deep one. “All the Bugs Are Growing” picks things back up, with a more driving rhythm and a lyric about small annoyances growing into something bigger. The song is less about catastrophe and more about the slow accumulation of frustration, which makes it feel particularly lived-in.
“Dreadful Sorry” is the album’s emotional peak, a slow-burning ballad that builds from near silence to a full-throated release. The singer’s vocal is the star here, carrying a weight that the other instruments barely touch. It is the kind of performance that reminds you why she is one of the most compelling singers working in rock today. “Magic Words” is a lighter, more playful track that uses humor to undercut its own melancholy. The song’s narrator offers platitudes and clichés as comfort, then pulls the rug out from under them with a final, devastating line. It is clever, and it is also genuinely sad.
“This Will Not End Well” is the album’s darkest moment, a track about a relationship that is clearly doomed. The title is a warning, and the song delivers on it. The music is tense, the vocals are strained, and the whole thing feels like a train heading toward a crash that nobody can stop. It is uncomfortable to listen to, and that is precisely the point. “Maglite” is a shorter, more straightforward rocker, and it works as a palate cleanser after the previous track’s intensity. It is not a great song, but it is a necessary one.
“Death by Misadventure” is a slow-building epic that stretches its runtime to nearly five minutes. The song is about a failed attempt to escape a bad situation, and the music mirrors that struggle, moving from a sparse arrangement to a fuller, more chaotic one. It is a bold track, and it holds the listener’s attention throughout its length. “Las Vegas” closes the album on a note of exhaustion. The narrator has reached the end of their rope, and the city is a stand-in for everything they have left behind. It is a fitting conclusion, though it leaves the listener with a sense of emptiness rather than resolution.
Opening Tracks
- “Little Paper Birds” sets the album’s reflective tone with restraint
- “Gone Missing” continues the haunted storytelling mode
- “Happiness Bleeds” introduces heavier guitars and a desperate chorus
Middle Stretch
- “Muscle Cars” slows things down with earned nostalgia
- “Scream & Scream Again” is a quick, dirty palate cleanser
- “All the Bugs Are Growing” builds tension through slow accumulation
Peak and Payoff
- “Dreadful Sorry” is the album’s emotional high point
- “Magic Words” uses humor to undercut its sadness
- “This Will Not End Well” is the darkest moment
Final Pair
- “Maglite” works as a palate cleanser after the previous track’s intensity
- “Death by Misadventure” is a bold track
- “Las Vegas” closes the album on exhaustion
The Verdict
Cincinnati Ohio is a strong record from a band that has spent years refining its craft. It is not perfect, and it is not trying to be. The album’s flaws — the middle tracks that drag, the lack of a definitive ending — are minor compared to what it gets right. The singer’s writing is sharp, her delivery is commanding, and the band’s ability to balance intimacy with force remains unmatched. This is Wussy at their most reflective, and it is also their most compelling.
The record has been out for over a decade, and it still holds up.
- Little Paper Birds3:43
- Gone Missing3:30
- Happiness Bleeds3:22
- Muscle Cars4:49
- Scream & Scream Again3:14
- All the Bugs Are Growing3:19
- Dreadful Sorry3:34
- Magic Words3:22
- This Will Not End Well3:21
- Maglite2:28
- Death by Misadventure3:48
- Las Vegas3:49
